Lens edging machine



Nov. 12, 1940. M NG 2,221,737

LENS EDGING MACHINE Original Filed 001:. 2, 1937 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES LENS EDGING MACHINE Eli Maynard Long, Geneva, N. Y4, assignor to Shuron Optical Company, Inc., Geneva, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application October 2., 1937, Serial No. 167,008. Divided and this application August 15, 1938, Serial No. 224,870

This invention relates to improvements in a lens edging machine in which a lens holding,

means operates in conjunction with a rotating abrasive stone or wheel and is a division of my copending application Serial No. 167,008, filed October 2, 1937, now Patent No. 2,175,719, granted October 10, 1939.

The object of this invention is to provide a lens edging machine with an improved truing device for maintaining the peripheral or grinding surface of the abrasive wheel in the most advantageous form and condition for precision grinding.

In carrying out the object of this invention, I have provided a truing hone which is substantially rectangular in form. This hone is mounted so that an end thereof may traverse the peripheral grinding surface of the wheel and be maintained by the action of the wheel thereon substantially flat and normal to the longitudinal center line of the bone to thereby most eflicaciously clean, sharpen and true the grinding surface by always maintaining a line contact between the hone and said surface.

Other objects and advantages pertaining to the construction of the device and to the form and relation of the parts thereof will more readily appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: 7

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a lens edging machine illustrating a truing device for the abrasive wheel which embodies the various features of this invention.

Figure 2 is a detail vertical sectional View take on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3, Figure 2.

As illustrated in the drawing, the machine comprises a supporting base or frame I composed of two sections, a lower section 2 and an upper section 3 which may be fixedly secured together in any suitable manner, as by screws t. The abrasive wheel 5 may be secured in any suitable manner to a shaft (not shown) rotatably carried by the frame I so as to rotate about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said frame. In other words, the wheel 5 may be carried, as shown in the above mentioned copending application, in a cradle received within the chamber 2' of the lower base section 2, the rear end of the cradle being rotatably connected with the base and the forward end thereof supported by an adjusting screw or bolt I4 having screwthreaded engagement with the forward portion of the cradle and which is carried by an offset portion 3' of the upper base section 3, as indicated in Figure 2 of the drawing. The bolt l4 may be utilized for adjusting the forward end of the frame or cradle and thereby elevate the wheel 5 as the same wears away in use for maintaining the peripheral surface of the wheel in cooperative relation with a lens holder l6 which-is mounted on the upper section 3 of the main su porting base or frame I in a plane above the wheel 5.

In Figure 1, I have indicated a lens holder I5 associated with the abrasive wheel 5 and which, in this instance, comprises opposed coaxial clamping heads lI-and ll mounted end to end upon coaxial rotary shafts or spindles l8 and l8 which in turn are journaled in suitable bear ings (not shown) provided in the outer or free portion of a vertical swinging frame or carriage 20 supported in any suitable manner by the frame I. I

In other words, the swinging frame'or' carriage 20 may be pivotally connected in the manner shown in my copending application Serial No. 167,008 to the rear portion of the upper section 3 of the base-I to swing about an axis extending substantially normal to the axis of rota tion of the wheel 5 and spindles l8 and 18. The adjacent ends of the lens clamping heads I! and I7 may be provided with the usual pads 25 composed of rubber, leather or the like for frictionalmember and any suitable means may be provided for manually moving said head and shaftwith respect to the other head and shaft.

It will be understood that any suitable means may be employed for producing relative movement of the lens holder and the wheel 5 to maintain the lens carried by the heads H and II in pressure engagement with said wheel. Furthermore, the path of movement of the heads I! and IT with respect to the wheel 5 to main tain the lens in proper relation with said head may be produced by any suitable means which it is not believed necessary to further illustrate or describe inasmuch as these elements do not constitute a portion of the novel features of the invention covered by this application.

In order that the abrasive wheel 5 may be maintained in the most eificient grinding condition, I have provided a novel truing device which is operatively connected with the base I to be used as occasion may require. This truing device, as shown more clearly in Figure 2, comprises a substantially rectangular hone or carborundum stick I65 which is adjustably clamped by a plate I66 and screws I61 to the head I 58 of a support I69. This support I69 includes a cylindrical extension I10 connected with the head I68 and which extends outwardly therefrom through a sleeve I1I screw-threaded in a suitable aperture I12 formed in the front wall of the upper base section 3.

The inner end of the sleeve I1I engages a shoulder I13 provided on the support IE9 at the junction of the portion I18 with the head I68. The extension I16 projects a short distance outwardly from the sleeve I'll and has a lever I14 secured thereto, whereby the holder I69 may be rotated about the axis of the extension I10. This handle I14 engages the outer end of the sleeve HI and coacts with the shoulder I13 for preventing relative axial movement of the support I69 and sleeve I1I. The support IE9 is adjusted'axially toward and from thewheel 5 by the axial movement of the sleeve IT! as the same is screwthreaded into and out of the opening I12.

In order that the sleeve I'II may thus be readily turned to effect the axial adjustment thereof, I have provided the outer end portion of said sleeve with a hand wheel I15. The sleeve IN is secured in the adjusted position by a screw I1tmounted in the base section 3. The position of the sleeve I1I in the base section 3 is such that the hone I will extend in substantially radial relation to the abrasive wheel 5 with the inner end of said hone normally arrangedin parallel relation with the adjacent portion of the peripheral surface of the abrasive wheel. The width of the hone I65, as shown in Figure 3, is substantially equal to the width of the wheel 5. The distance the hone I65 is arranged at one side of the axis of rotation of the head I68 preferably exceeds one-half the width of the abrasive wheel so that the hone will .swing back and forth. across the face of the stone in an arc X--X having-its center lying in the axis of the extension I10. It will, therefore, be seen that instead of the inner end of the hone having a concave recess ground therein during the truing of the wheel 5, said end of the hone will be maintained substantially flat with the result that the hone will have a line contact with the peripheral surface of the wheel 5 during the truin'g operation. The hone will, therefore, true the abrasive wheel surface much more rapidly and accurately than when the hone is operated in the conventional manner, that is, toward and from the surface of the abrasive wheel in a straight line substantially normal to said surface,

whereby the inner end of the hone engages the surface of the wheel throughout substantially its entire area. The head I68 may, as shown, he provided with a recess I68 extending inwardly from the end thereof adjacent the wheel 5 for the reception of a sponge I18 adapted to normally bear against the peripheral surface of the wheel for preventing water and dust collecting on the hone I65.

Although I have shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown, as various changes, both in the form and relation of the parts thereof, may readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a grinding machine of the class described, an abrasive wheel, means including a base rotatably supporting said wheel, a truing hone for .the abrasive wheel, and supporting means for the hone rotatably connected with the base for swinging said hone back and forth across the peripheral surface of the abrasive wheel in a plane substantially parallelwith the axis of the wheel and about an axis arranged at one side of the hone and in a line extending substantially normal to a plane extending through the axis of rotation of the abrasive wheel.

2. A grinding machine as in claim 1 wherein said latter supporting means includes an adjustable element whereby the hone may be moved toward and from the abrasive wheel.

3. In combination, a rotary grinding wheel, a substantially rectangular truing hone for said wheel, and supporting means for said hone including an operating element journaled to rotate about an axis arranged at one side of the longitudinal center of the hone and in a plane extending substantially normal to the axis of rotation of the wheel, and means adjustably clamping the hone to said element at one side of the axis of rotation thereof with an end of said hone in position to operatively contact the peripheral surface of the wheel during rotation of the holding element, whereby said end of the hone will be ground into a curvature greater than that of the peripheral surface of the wheel during the truing operation and thus maintain a line contact only a spindle and means connecting the hone to said 4 spindle so constructed and arranged that the grinding surface of said hone will swing in a circular path through a plane substantially tangent to said peripheral surface of the wheel and about an axis substantially normal to said plane.

ELI MAYNARD LONG. 

